How do I get on the IMC mailing list? Please email us with your contact details, stating that you would like to be included on our mailing list.

How do I make a complaint? If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of the IMC, please do not hesitate to contact us at the address and email above. We will endeavour to address the points raised by replying via email or post within two working weeks.

Are there job opportunities with the IMC? Casual job opportunities are available at the IMC, with opportunities to work on a variety of jobs. These will be advertised on our website each year at the end of April. If you would like to be informed directly when potential casual work opportunities arise please contact us.

Programme and Participation

What sources of funding are there to attend the IMC? The IMC bursary fund is open to student, retired, unwaged, and independent scholars, as well as scholars from Eastern European countries. Bursaries awarded go towards the Registration and Programming Fee and living costs. No travel grants are available through the bursary scheme. The deadline for bursary applications is the 15 October for the Congress in the following year. For more information visit http://www.leeds.ac.uk/ims/imc/bursaryfund.html

How do I get an invitation letter/certificate confirming my participation in the Congress? If you need a letter confirming participation at the Congress, email us, including information on why you need the letter (for your University, in support of a visa application etc.), and we will be happy to post or fax these to you. Letters confirming attendance can be requested at any time during the Congress from IMC Officers and will be posted or faxed directly after the IMC.

How do I find out where a session is? The room is not listed in the online programme. Session rooms are listed in the printed programme only. All registered participants, whether speaking or attending without being actively involved in the programme, will receive a printed copy of the programme. Registration is open February-May.

What is the IMC programme book? The IMC programme book is a printed copy of the programme. It includes information about the services we provide for participants, information on travelling to the site of the Congress, details of the sessions and round tables (including the location of the sessions), how to register, maps, and further information about the events and excursions we arrange for participants.

What is the programme for this year? The full programme for the current year is available from February-July. All active participants and registered delegates will receive a copy of the printed programme. Non-delegates can request a copy of the programme by email.

How do I get a copy of a paper from a previous year's IMC? Due to the large number of papers given at each year's IMC, we do not keep copies of past papers. However, we are happy to pass your query on to past participants of the IMC where possible.

Do you publish proceedings/need my paper for the proceedings? Unfortunately, with over 1000 papers given at each IMC, it is too difficult to publish comprehensive proceedings every year. However, some papers presented at the IMC do get published as part of the International Medieval Research series, in partnership with Brepols Publishers. The papers for each volume are selected by the editor and the speakers contacted directly and invited to submit.

For a list of the volumes published to date see http://www.leeds.ac.uk/ims/imc/imr.html. The series is always looking for proposals from potential editors of volumes, and if you would like to act as editor for such a volume then please contact us with a proposal.

Who is eligible to present a paper at the IMC? Anyone is welcome to propose a session or paper. However, we recommend that post-graduate students should be in their 2nd year of research before proposing a paper.

How do I propose a paper? You are welcome to offer a 20-minute paper within a general session. In this case the individual should complete the online form entitled 'Paper Proposal Form', and provide an abstract of no more than 100 words. The IMC Programming Committee will assess submissions using the abstract provided, place the selected papers into groups of three, and thereby organise sessions that share a common theme. We will include the abstracts of papers in our online programme for the IMC. If your paper is accepted, we will contact you to give you the opportunity to make any appropriate changes to your abstract before the programme appears on our website. If for any reason you do not wish your abstract to appear on our website please tick the appropriate box on the form. The deadline for submissions for individual paper proposals is always the end of August.

How long should my paper be? Papers given at the Congress are usually allocated 20 minutes in a standard three-paper session to allow time for questions. In four-paper sessions this is reduced to 15 minutes per paper. Papers which overrun are unfair to other speakers in the session, who will have less time to speak and may feel under pressure as a result. Bear in mind that audience members may not be completely familiar with the language of your paper, so do not speak too quickly. They may want to ask questions at the end, and they will need time to get to the other sessions they wish to attend. Session rooms may not have accurate clocks, so bring a watch to ensure correct timing.

May I participate in more than one session? Delegates may only present one paper each year at the IMC, but they can be involved in other ways (such as, organiser, moderator, respondent, or round table participant) in multiple sessions.

Who may organise/sponsor a session? The following groups may organise/sponsor a session: individuals or a group of colleagues (post-graduate students, independent scholars, university departments, societies etc.); a named individual acting on behalf of an academic society, university department, research project, a museum, a journal or publisher, etc.; the body on whose behalf the organiser is acting is termed the sponsor, though the use of this term does not necessarily imply any financial contribution.

What do session sponsors do? Sponsoring a session is an opportunity for institutions and publishers to promote themselves, new publications, or recent research projects. Sponsorship does not necessarily involve making a direct financial contribution: institutions may provide email addresses, sabbatical time, access to facilities, or other types of support to the participants of the session.

What is involved in organising a session? You should gather three individuals, preferably from three different countries, to present 20-minute papers on related topics in each session, plus a moderator who will introduce the speakers and preside over the discussion. We recommend that you have at least one substitute speaker in case of unexpected withdrawal by any of the three named speakers at a later stage. You will need to ensure that the speakers invited have not already submitted a paper in another session and ensure that all session participants are informed that they are required to pay the appropriate Registration Fee to attend. You will also need to liaise with speakers during the year and at the IMC, and take any appropriate initiatives to publicise the session(s) to interested parties in advance of the IMC.

Organisers of sessions are invited to submit between one and five proposals. Please note, however, that the IMC administration may not be able to allocate the full number requested. The organiser should complete the online form entitled ‘Session Proposal Form', provide details of all the speakers and include a short abstract of the session of no more than 100 words. Session proposals will not be accepted if the proposal does not include all the information required on the form and if they consist of only two papers. We strongly advise you not to schedule four or more speakers in one session.

Before you submit your proposal, please ensure that all participants in your session have agreed to attend and are aware that they will need to register and pay the appropriate registration fee to attend the Congress.

We will include the abstracts of sessions in our online programme for the IMC. If the session is accepted, we will contact all the speakers involved to give them the opportunity to make any appropriate changes to the abstract before the programme appears on our website. If for any reason you do not wish this session abstract to appear on our website please tick the appropriate box on the form.

Note that the IMC administration is responsible for constructing the programme of Congress, organising the general sessions, providing facilities, and the processing of registrations. A session organiser is responsible for organising and ensuring participation in his/her session(s). They will be the primary contact for the IMC should there be any queries regarding their session. If there are multiple organisers for a session, please indicate which organiser is the primary point of contact.

How do I propose a round table/academic workshop? The organiser should complete the online form entitled 'Submission for a 60-minute Workshop or Round Table Discussion', providing details of at least two participants and a moderator, and including a short abstract of the session of no more than 100 words. Round table proposals will not be accepted if the proposal does not include all the information required on the form.

When will I know if my session/paper/workshop/round table proposal has been accepted?Acceptance emails are sent out at the end of November/beginning of December.

How do I moderate a session? We strongly recommend that moderators contact all speakers of their session beforehand to familiarise themselves with the content of each paper and with the research background of each speaker before the session takes place.

The main duties of a session moderator are:

- To introduce each speaker, being aware that there may be non-specialists in the audience who may not know a speaker who is well known within a specific academic field.

- To make sure that each speaker finishes his or her paper on time (moderators may need to be quite assertive on this point). You may need to bring a watch with you, as session rooms may not have accurate clocks.

- To make sure that the session starts and finishes on time so that IMC staff are able to prepare the room for the next session.

- To initiate discussion after presentation of the papers (be prepared to ask questions if none are forthcoming from the audience).

- To moderate the discussion.

I am unable to attend the Congress to speak/moderate/participate how do I withdraw? The IMC administration requires written confirmation, by letter or email, stating that you will no longer be attending the Congress. Please inform us as soon as you know you are unable to attend. Your withdrawal from the programme will be confirmed by the IMC by email. If you have already registered, refer to our cancellation policy as printed in the printed programme and registration form, or listed in the online registration information.

Can a colleague read my paper if I am unable to attend? IMC guidelines state that 'each participant may submit only one paper, which must be presented by the author and/or co-author and may not be presented on his/her behalf'. Therefore, it will not be possible for anyone to read out a colleague's paper at the IMC. This policy has been implemented to ensure that delegates can ask questions and discuss the research with the author of the paper. If you are unable to attend, please inform the IMC and your session organiser as soon as possible.

I have told my session organiser/the IMC that I have withdrawn. Why I am still listed in the online programme or have received a reminder email? Check that you received an email from the IMC confirming your withdrawal. If you haven't, it is possible that your original message has not been received or that your session organiser has not yet informed the IMC of your withdrawal.

Note: During May-June the IMC receives a high volume of emails and there may be delays in processing withdrawals/registrations. For cancellation purposes, the date the email/letter is received will be used as the cancellation date.

How can I be involved in the IMC? General proposals can be submitted, using our online proposal forms, between May and the proposal deadlines. These are 31 August for paper proposals and 30 September for session proposals.

The programme is finalised throughout November. Late submissions will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis. Session proposals received after November are unlikely to be included.

Once the programme has been finalised, opportunities to present papers do sometimes occur in the run up to the Congress. More information on sessions seeking papers can be found here: http://www.leeds.ac.uk/ims/imc/late_call.html. Please note: this listing will only be active from January-July. If you are interested in moderating sessions, email us and we will let you know when suitable moderator vacancies occur.

Registration

How do I register for the IMC?

Full details on how to register will be available from the website from February for the coming Congress. Registration can be completed online using our Online Registration option, or by sending a copy of the Registration Form by post or fax to us, using the contact details below. Please note that non-online registration is subject to an additional fee to cover the increased costs of processing the registration.

Registration Forms sent by email will not be accepted, for security reasons. Send in only one registration, as sending more than one copy can delay the registration process and may result in you being charged twice.

What does the Registration Fee pay for? / Why is there a Registration Fee? The IMC is a non-profit making, and entirely self-funding organisation, and we receive no regular contribution from either the University of Leeds, or from any other external organisation, towards the financial cost of organising the Congress each year. It is for this reason that all participants are required to pay the appropriate fee. The Registration Fee payments contribute towards the cost of:

a) developing and producing the programme, and the provision of IMC administration throughout the year

At the IMC 2012, - the provision alone of teas and coffees at the Congress cost £14,255.92.

- the room hire for session rooms over the duration of the Congress cost £48,738.70.

- the hiring of equipment for participants cost a total of £29,000.

It is each individual delegate's responsibility to pay for their Registration Fees. Every participant active in the programme will receive from us all the information that they need to enable them to do this in advance of the Congress. We are of course aware that some participants will only want to attend the Congress on the day of the session within which they are themselves participating, and we offer these participants the opportunity to purchase one-day passes, at a reduced price from the full Registration Fee. There are also concessions for students, retired, and unwaged delegates (proof of status is required).

Can I register for just one day of the IMC? Yes. There are day-passes available for all four days of the Congress. Should you wish to attend for two or more days, the standard registration fee will apply.

Delegates eligible for the Student/Retired/Unwaged Registration Fee should note that the Student/Retired/Unwaged Registration Fee is always set lower than the day pass. There are no single-session or half-day fees available.

Can I cancel my registration? You can cancel your registration at any time before the Congress in writing, or by email. Refunds will be made in line with our stated cancellation policy. For full details of our cancellation policy see the information printed in the Programme, on the Registration Form, or in the registration information page of our website.

If I cancel, will I get a refund?Refunds will be made in line with our stated cancellation policy. For full details of our cancellation policy, see the printed Programme, Registration Form, or the registration information page of our website (which is available from February-July). Alternatively contact us for more information.

Why do you need my postal address? Your address is used to send out copies of the Programme Book, to inform you about changes to the current Congress and to provide you with information about future Congresses. Occasionally we make our postal mailing list available to selected universities or publishers who we believe offer goods or services of interest to you on a one use basis. If you do not wish to be contacted by other universities or publishers you can opt out by checking the relevant box during Registration, or by emailing us.

Must I register for the IMC if I am giving a paper? All participants in the IMC, including speakers, chairs, respondents, attending organisers, and non-active participants, will be required to pay the appropriate Programming and Registration Fee. Non-participating friends and family members are not entitled to attend any sessions other than the session in which their friend/family member is speaking. They are, however, welcome to book and attend the Events and Excursions on offer.

Must my accompanying family member/friend register for the IMC? Non-participating friends or family members are not entitled to attend any sessions other than the session in which their friend/family member is speaking. If they wish to attend the IMC fully, they will be required to register as a delegate. They are, however, welcome to book and attend the Events and Excursions on offer. Further information on the year's events and excursions is available from February-July.

What accommodation is available? Accommodation can be booked as part of your registration, which will be available from February-July. The on-site accommodation ranges from single student rooms at Charles Morris Hall, Lyddon Hall, Ellerslie Hall, and Devonshire Hall to nearby city centre hotel accommodation at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ibis Hotel, and Weetwood Hall. Current prices are listed on the Registration Form. If you require more information on prices for funding applications in advance of registration opening, contact us for estimated prices. Estimated prices are also included in the guidelines for the proposal forms.

Is there a student discount? The IMC offers a discounted Registration and Programming Fee for students, retired, and unwaged scholars. For current prices please see the Registration Form.

What proof of status do you need for the Student/Retired/Unwaged Registration Fee? For proof of student status we require a copy of a student card; or if the card has neither this year's date nor an expiry date, a letter from the student's department on official letterhead; unfortunately, an email is not sufficient.

For proof of retired or unwaged status we require official state documentation showing that you are retired or unwaged.

Alternatively, if you are retired you can send us a copy of your passport showing clearly your date of birth, or a letter from your former employer stating your date of retirement. This letter should be on official letterhead; unfortunately, an email is not sufficient.

If you are unable to provide any of the listed proofs, please contact us to discuss alternatives.

Does the IMC provide travel bursaries? No travel grants are available through the IMC. The IMC does have a bursary fund which is open to student, retired, unwaged, and independent scholars, as well as scholars from Eastern European countries. Bursaries awarded go towards the Registration and Programming Fee and living costs. The deadline for Bursaries is in October.

Will I get a receipt for my registration?Online registrations are immediate and the confirmation of your booking will be sent to you as soon as you have completed your registration. An additional receipt can be sent on request.

The non-online registration process is time-consuming and issuing your registration receipt for non-online registrations may take up to five weeks. An additional copy of the registration receipt will be included in all registration packs at the IMC.

If you require a particular type of receipt please mention this on your registration, or contact us as soon as possible after registering.

Equipment

I want to give a PowerPoint presentation. What equipment do I need to order? PowerPoint presentations require the use of a data projector and a computer. When you submit your proposal form, you need to ask for a data projector. If you are using your own laptop please make sure it has a female VGA monitor output, otherwise it will not be possible to connect it to our projectors. Data projectors can also be used with Apple Macs but you will need to bring your own cables. Technical support cannot be guaranteed for Apple Macs.

If you are not bringing a laptop, then the Congress will need to provide a PC or PC laptop. A request for a PC laptop should be specified on your proposal form. Please ensure that your presentation is Microsoft-compatible. We recommend that you bring your work on a CD-ROM as well as on a USB flash drive/memory stick/USB key, in case the USB is rejected by the laptop. Note that only Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 software will be automatically provided on these laptops. If you need other software and cannot bring your own laptop, please contact us as soon as possible.

Equipment not ordered before December cannot be guaranteed at the Congress.

How do I order equipment? All equipment should be ordered through the online proposal form. If for some reason you need to change your equipment you can request an equipment change by email. However, equipment not ordered before December cannot be guaranteed at the Congress.

When do I set up my paper presentation? Equipment in the session room is available for use 20 minutes prior to the session. As the equipment frequently has to be moved between session rooms, your equipment may take time to arrive, but will be available before the start of the session.

How should I bring my work to the Congress? We recommend that you bring your work on a CD-ROM as well as on a USB flash drive/memory stick/USB key, in case the USB is rejected by our computers. Note that if you are borrowing a laptop from the IMC for your paper, only Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 software will be automatically provided. If you need other software and cannot bring your own laptop, please contact us as soon as possible.

Receptions and Exhibitions

How do I book a reception? Please contact us to discuss your requirements. The deadline for inclusion in the printed programme is 1 December.

How do I exhibit at the IMC? Please contact us at imc@leeds.ac.uk for further information and a booking form.

How do I advertise with the IMC? Please contact us at imc@leeds.ac.uk for further information and a booking form.

I'm an exhibitor – do I need to register? Exhibitors should register in the same way as other delegates. Registration information is available from February-July. Please indicate that you are an exhibitor on the form. This is to ensure you will be provided with all the relevant registration information and a name badge on arrival.

Note that Registration Fees are only applicable for exhibitors who intend to attend more than 3 sessions at the Congress,
as exhibitors are already paying as part of their exhibition space hire.

A copy of these regulations are provided in the IMC registration pack on arrival.

Is there internet access at the IMC? The internet can be accessed from various computer clusters around the University of Leeds campus. The entire campus has WiFi throughout and all Congress delegates will be given complementary computer usernames.

Events and Excursions

How do I propose an event/excursion/activity for the IMC? If you have any suggestions for potential excursions or events, we would like to hear from you. Please send your ideas or event proposal to us by email. Events and Excursions are finalised in November for the following year. Please bear this in mind when proposing your activity.

What events and excursions can I attend this year? Full details of Events and Excursions at this year's IMC are available in the printed programme and online from February-July. For more information, contact us directly.

Do I need to register for the Congress to attend IMC events and/or excursions? Congress events and excursions are open to the public, and you do not need to register to attend these. However, priority booking will be given to Congress participants (and their accompanying friends and family) on events for which only a limited number of places are available. Further information on events and excursions will be available on our website from February-July). If you have any queries regarding any of the events or excursions please contact the IMC by phone or by email.

Access

I have specific dietary requirements; will these be catered for at the IMC? Please list any specific dietary requirements you may have on the IMC Registration Form. Although every effort will be made, we cannot guarantee dietary requirements received after the 14 May.

How do I get this information in an accessible format?Please contact the IMC directly and we will be happy to supply you with this information in an alternate format.

If proposing a paper or session, please make clear any requirements you may have so that we can allocate your session to a suitable room. While every effort will be made, it may not be possible to change the venue of your room once the programme has been finalised.

Fully accessible and ground floor accommodation is available on the University main campus. Please specify your requirements as clearly as possible on your registration form, as this information will be used in allocating your room.

If you or anyone accompanying you to the IMC has specific requirements for which you would like more information, please contact us.